Airship mooring and transporting device



March 26, 1929. Q ER 1,706,414

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII CE INVENTOR 56/70 sax/7,2?

OLUMMAAW ATTORNEYS March 26, 1929. sc Z Q 1,706,414

AIRSH'IP MOORING AND 'IRANSPORTING DEVICE Filed Feb. 28, 1925 4 She ets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS March 26, 1929. B, scHNlTZER I Y 1,706,414

AIRSHIF MOORING AND TRANSPORTING DEVICE Filed Feb. 28, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATI'ORN EYS March 26, 1929. B. SCHNITZER AIRSHIP MOORING AND TRANSPORTINGDEVICE Filed Fb. 28, 1925 4 Sheets-Shut 4 ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 26, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATIENT OFFICE.

IBElil'O SGHNITZER, OF AKRON, OHIO, ASSIG-NOR T LU'FTSCHIFFBAU ZEPPELIN GE- SELLSCHAIT MITBESOHRANKTEB HAF'IUNG, QFFRIEDRICHSHAFEN, BOIDENSEE,

GERMANY.

AIIIRSHIII? MOORING AND TBAJN'SPORTING DEVICE.

Application filed rebruary 28,1925, Serial No. 12,288, and in Germany April 7, 1924.

According to my invention the airshilp is not moored to'a fixed point but to a mac 1ne capable of moving or being moved "about. This machine has ofcourse to be kept down p by'its own weight or by some other suitablemeans so that a safe mooring is warranted. prefer to select a point at the bow of the ship for being moored to the machine, so that the rear Hart of the ship may swing around in 'accor ance with the direction of the wind. But it will be advantageous to provide for the attachment in the rear of some wheels when on the ound, or of a float when on water. By tlns a smooth swinging of the rear from the airship when landing, whereafter the ship is moored to the machlne.

. The connection between the airship and the moorin machine may also provide elastic means or the purpose of avoiding bumps and. sudden strains on the airship. q Having 1given a general description of my invention now want to point it'out more in detail referrin to the drawings which show an example em odying my invention.

1/ Fig. 1 is the side elevation of an airshi with a mooring machine. Fig. 2 is the same but only of alportion of the ship connected to the machine, and on a larger scale. Fig. 3 I

shows the bow of anairship which is being hauled down to the mooring machine, represented diagrammatically in side elevation. In Fig. 4.- means for connecting airship and mooring machine are shown in vertical cross part of the ship will be attained. It may be gzSGCiJiOIl. Fig. 5 represents a mooring machine advisable to make this attachment in the rear so hea, that under normal conditions the stem 0 the shipwill not be lifted by the wind from the ground or from the water while the ship is moored down.

- If, in accordance with my invention, the airship is moored to a float or ship on water there does not exist any difliculty for the floating mooring machine to turn round with the airshi when the latter is swung into a different 'rectionby the wind, as the water will easil fallow such movement. This is different wlth a vehicle on the ground. Here it will be best to provide for a ball-and-socket joint in the connecting means between airship and mooring machine, or the latter may be moved on to a turntable while the rear wheel or wheelsmay revolve on special concentric tracks. In the centre of such turn- 4) table connections may be rovided for relenishing the airship with ifting gas, gasoine' and water.

The connection between the airship and the movable mooring machine may be accom- 5 plished by means of one of the cars suspended underneath the airships body or a special intermediate structure may be provided. This structure may be made apart of the airship or a art of the moorin machine, or it may constitute a structure 0 its own to be connected to the ship at one side and to the moor-.

in machine at its other-side.

" urthermore it will be useful to provide a winch on the m rin machine so as' to be able 5' t haul in a line hic may have been thrown in side elvatipn. The elastic spring arrangement on the machine is shown in side elevation in Fig. 6, and in plan view in Fig. 7, on which some portions are given in horizontal cross section. Fig. 8 is a cross section showing how the mooring machine may be put on a turntable to facilitate replenishingof the airship with gas, waterand gasoline while being moored to the ground. I

' In the example represented the airship A is connected to the mooring machine 1 by means of the forward car G and the rear car R is provided with a wheel W serving as a support. The mooring machine 1 is a kind of a tractor which will allow transportation over practically any kind of soil. Struts 3 connected to car G are provided with a joint 2 which fits into a socket 4 on the tractor 1. A

winch 5 on the mooring machine serves towhich is fastened to the airship A. The rope 6 runs through the ball 7 which is enclosed by embracing socket parts 8 and 9. Part 9 at the same time constitutes a coupling part fitting into and engaging with the correspond ing part 10 which forms a portion of the 7 mooring machine. It is rovided with an annular groove 12 into whlch bolt 11 is pressed by a spring 33, thereby automatically securing cone 9'-within the conical socket 10, when the proper position is attained. By means of=a handle, the bolt 11 may again be withdrawn from groove .12 against the presreleasingthe a1 p.

adequate braking means.

-levers 16 are 'connecte to rods 19 by means of pins 18. These rods 19 at their middle portions are provided with pistons 21 inside of brake cylinders 20.

The lower ortion of socket 10 has two pivot pins 22 which are connected to a rod 23 likewise forming a piston 25 in its middle portion working within a brake cylinder 24. This cylinder is pivoted on pins 28.

The cylinders and 24 may contain a liquid or gaseous fluid capable of acting as an Springs 26, 26' 27 and 27' may serve for braking instead of the fluid or in addition thereto.

Cylinder 24 with'piston provides for braking action mainly in opposition to horizontal movements of the airship, while cylined for the purpose of turnin the turntable.

This motor may be controlled y automatical- 1y acting means (notrcpresented) so as to always make cert-ain that the airships longitudinal axis will be substantially in the direction of-the win-d. In the center of the turntable pipes or hoses 30 extend upward from underneath through Which fuel, gas and water may be fed to the airship;

I do not want to limit myself to the details described or shown in the drawing as man spring arrangement mounted on said conveyance, said arrangement having a point adapted to receive a mooring point underneath the bow of an airship and allowing for said mooring point to be moved resiliently in horizontal and vertical direction.

2. A device of the typedescribed, comprising a tractor and a spring and lever arrangement mounted on said tractor, said arrangement having a point adapted to receive ders 20 with pistons 21 will counteract vertia mooring point underneath the bow of an cal movements.

Furthermore it will be possible, if so desired, to exert an upward pushing eflfect on the starting airship in the moment of release from the socket 10' if this -for instance has first been pressed down.

For the purpose of facilitatin the replenishing of the airship with fuei water andlifting gas while moored to the mooring machine it may be useful to provide a turntable 29 shown in Fig. 8 on to which the mooring machine 1 may be shifted and secured by.ade-.

quate means 31 motor 32 may be providairship and allowing for saidmooring point to be moved horizontally and vertically.

3. A device of the type'described, comprising a tractor, a which on said tractor adapted for hauling down an airship, and a spring and lever arrangement mounted on said tractor, said arrangement having a point adapted to receive a mooring point underneath the bow of an airship and allowing for resilient horizontal and vertical movement of said mooring point. K

In testimony wherebf I aflixlnllly si ature. BENO SC gn ITZER. 

